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Redline #3
Wheelspin
David Jochmann's life is spinning out of control.
After making history as Formula America’s first gay couple, David Jochmann and Noah Caparelli find their careers at a turning point. With Noah sidelined by a wrist injury, David faces the pressure of defending his championship alone.
But the racetrack is just one of David’s battlegrounds. His abusive father is stalking him, his ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his child, and his new diet regimen is taking over his life.
When everything starts to fall apart, David must confront his demons and decide what kind of person he’s going to be. Will he find the strength to heal himself and reclaim his future, or will his past destroy everything he’s fought for?
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
- Domestic abuse (parent/child, no minors involved)
- Eating disorders and associated effects (vomiting, starvation, etc)
After making history as Formula America’s first gay couple, David Jochmann and Noah Caparelli find their careers at a turning point. With Noah sidelined by a wrist injury, David faces the pressure of defending his championship alone.
But the racetrack is just one of David’s battlegrounds. His abusive father is stalking him, his ex-girlfriend is pregnant with his child, and his new diet regimen is taking over his life.
When everything starts to fall apart, David must confront his demons and decide what kind of person he’s going to be. Will he find the strength to heal himself and reclaim his future, or will his past destroy everything he’s fought for?
TRIGGER WARNINGS:
- Domestic abuse (parent/child, no minors involved)
- Eating disorders and associated effects (vomiting, starvation, etc)
390 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2024
2 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 21, 2024
3.5 stars, this series has a hold on me I cannot explain. When I saw Wheelspin was out, I had an urge to drop everything in my life to read it (I even skimmed over the first two books to get back into the story to properly enjoy this one). I have mixed feelings about the series overall, but mostly because my brain doesn't know how to deal with the fact that the romance does not work for me, while I really enjoy the character work and the whole racing setting. This book confirmed this for me, and the trilogy was very consistent in that way.
tw: I didn't even read the synopsis, I was so excited to finally see Noah & David happy. I should have though, because I didn't expect the eating disorder content and it shook me more than I thought it would. That's entirely on me though.
This book follows David's POV for the first time in the series. Noah and David are finally together after months of painful ordeals. Noah is on a racing hiatus because of his wrist injury but David is preparing for another championship. They're figuring out how to adjust to being future parents, as David's ex-girlfriend is pregnant with David's child. Things are not perfect, but they're on the right path until David's season turns into a nightmare.
This broke my heart, this series is so stressful for me. I care for the characters a lot and I just want to see them happy. Seeing them go through yet other painful, traumatic events hurt me so much. I am not a fan of the romance, I think it's too unbalanced to be healthy and while I don't mind relationships that start a bit skewed, I like to see characters find an equilibrium and solace within each other. I never feel like this happens here, probably because David has gone through so much and the abuse has traumatised him on so many levels, the books doesn't show him happy or just okay until the last 3 chapters. Noah is the support, he is the one who cares for David so much that he almost single-handedly makes sure David is okay. I love that, but I usually like to see that care reciprocated. We have seen Noah make MANY sacrifices for their relationship but it's so obvious David was not in any shape to do that, and it's been the case for the entire series. They have been saying "I love you" so much in this book, and to me it felt like they were convincing themselves, like a mantra. I have seen what it does to people to care for a partner with issues as serious as David's and it can take its toll on the person. It was hard for me to root for them because as much as I wanted them to be happy together, seeing David constantly refuse to seek help was heartbreaking for me. I love Noah as a character and my heart broke as much for him as it did for David. I honestly just wish we could have seen more of them being okay, more of the recovery, that felt kind of quick, a jump to a happy ending after so much pain.
I like Noah a lot, but I still can't seem to find David likeable. I think I never really got over all the cruel things he put both Noah and Caroline through. I think he is a very interesting and layered character, and he was very well-written. I do get that he is not fine and behaving as such. He has many issues and many traumas that make him irascible, jealous and insecure. Reading his POV gave us some more insight into him and why he did the things he did, but I still can't help from getting very frustrated with the way he acts. I just want him to be happy, and every step of the way was just so messy and painful. It had my stomach in knots, because everything was so complicated and stressful I was going insane. But I guess we did get there eventually.
I liked how the pregnancy was not left to the side, but really carefully incorporated into the storyline. However I do have to say I missed the high tension of the racing, as I felt it brought a nice balance to the relationship/character drama. In this book, I felt like I couldn't catch a break to breathe through the ansgt, and at times I felt like I was going to go crazy. I feel like while this book was successful at being very angsty and heavy, a part of me wished this book slowed down and allowed David to get better and heal from his many issues and fears and insecurities instead of making him get worse. It does make sense how he'd be especially vulnerable after what he went through, and again, the writing conveyed all of this very well, but I feel like giving him space to breathe would have been a nice way for the romance to be more convincing while tying the remaining plotlines. But again, this series has a solid idea of what it is about and what story it wants to tell; and that was executed very well. I just tend to like relationships that feel more balanced / with reciprocated efforts with strong character arcs for both parties. As a whole, that's my one frustration with this series. I have no difficulty imagining how this could have become a fast favourite if it had been the case. I am happy with the ending though, and I feel like that's a good way to end this series and give us a happy ending as David and Noah carve their own ideal future.
I will definitely keep following Emma Barlowe's releases because the writing was top tier and I am very excited to read more from her!
tw: I didn't even read the synopsis, I was so excited to finally see Noah & David happy. I should have though, because I didn't expect the eating disorder content and it shook me more than I thought it would. That's entirely on me though.
This book follows David's POV for the first time in the series. Noah and David are finally together after months of painful ordeals. Noah is on a racing hiatus because of his wrist injury but David is preparing for another championship. They're figuring out how to adjust to being future parents, as David's ex-girlfriend is pregnant with David's child. Things are not perfect, but they're on the right path until David's season turns into a nightmare.
This broke my heart, this series is so stressful for me. I care for the characters a lot and I just want to see them happy. Seeing them go through yet other painful, traumatic events hurt me so much. I am not a fan of the romance, I think it's too unbalanced to be healthy and while I don't mind relationships that start a bit skewed, I like to see characters find an equilibrium and solace within each other. I never feel like this happens here, probably because David has gone through so much and the abuse has traumatised him on so many levels, the books doesn't show him happy or just okay until the last 3 chapters. Noah is the support, he is the one who cares for David so much that he almost single-handedly makes sure David is okay. I love that, but I usually like to see that care reciprocated. We have seen Noah make MANY sacrifices for their relationship but it's so obvious David was not in any shape to do that, and it's been the case for the entire series. They have been saying "I love you" so much in this book, and to me it felt like they were convincing themselves, like a mantra. I have seen what it does to people to care for a partner with issues as serious as David's and it can take its toll on the person. It was hard for me to root for them because as much as I wanted them to be happy together, seeing David constantly refuse to seek help was heartbreaking for me. I love Noah as a character and my heart broke as much for him as it did for David. I honestly just wish we could have seen more of them being okay, more of the recovery, that felt kind of quick, a jump to a happy ending after so much pain.
I like Noah a lot, but I still can't seem to find David likeable. I think I never really got over all the cruel things he put both Noah and Caroline through. I think he is a very interesting and layered character, and he was very well-written. I do get that he is not fine and behaving as such. He has many issues and many traumas that make him irascible, jealous and insecure. Reading his POV gave us some more insight into him and why he did the things he did, but I still can't help from getting very frustrated with the way he acts. I just want him to be happy, and every step of the way was just so messy and painful. It had my stomach in knots, because everything was so complicated and stressful I was going insane. But I guess we did get there eventually.
I liked how the pregnancy was not left to the side, but really carefully incorporated into the storyline. However I do have to say I missed the high tension of the racing, as I felt it brought a nice balance to the relationship/character drama. In this book, I felt like I couldn't catch a break to breathe through the ansgt, and at times I felt like I was going to go crazy. I feel like while this book was successful at being very angsty and heavy, a part of me wished this book slowed down and allowed David to get better and heal from his many issues and fears and insecurities instead of making him get worse. It does make sense how he'd be especially vulnerable after what he went through, and again, the writing conveyed all of this very well, but I feel like giving him space to breathe would have been a nice way for the romance to be more convincing while tying the remaining plotlines. But again, this series has a solid idea of what it is about and what story it wants to tell; and that was executed very well. I just tend to like relationships that feel more balanced / with reciprocated efforts with strong character arcs for both parties. As a whole, that's my one frustration with this series. I have no difficulty imagining how this could have become a fast favourite if it had been the case. I am happy with the ending though, and I feel like that's a good way to end this series and give us a happy ending as David and Noah carve their own ideal future.
I will definitely keep following Emma Barlowe's releases because the writing was top tier and I am very excited to read more from her!
July 6, 2024
A dazzling conclusion to the Redline trilogy! Wheelspin started off strong and sugar-sweet against a looming backdrop of drama and high stakes built up by the first two books. This has been one of my most anticipated books of the year from a smaller author, and it did not let me down, continuing the excitement of the first two and leading through to a solid end.
The ending cliffhanger of Short Shift with David’s ex-girlfriend being pregnant left me cautious, but I was still trusting of Emma’s story management and curious to see how it would pay off in this book. The way it was woven into the story in Wheelspin, not as a typical accidental pregnancy trope, but with weight and momentum, gave the story more depth and better stakes. It felt navigated by characters not as a novelty, but as the lifechanging event it should be treated as. I ended up enjoying it, which is the first time I can say that about accidental pregnancy as a storyline. It just goes to speak to Emma’s mastery of complicating storylines with tropes, that she then turns on their heads in meaningful ways.
One of the strengths of the two first books was the balance between character drama and on-track drama of competing for a racing championship. Wheelspin was primarily seen through David’s eyes this time, and while Davids’ internal struggle throughout the novel was beautifully and compellingly written, it pulled focus away from the external story. It served the character motivations better to make more space for understanding what he was dealing with, but compromised the book by also making it a less balanced read, and I found myself missing the thrill of racing so well depicted throughout the first two. There were also some choices David made that got more context in Wheelspin than earlier books, but sometimes still left me wanting to shake him by his shoulders. Especially towards the very end of the novel, I felt at times more frustrated than sympathetic with one storyline resolution. That being said, I think all of the Redline series does an excellent job highlighting some of the issues real life racing athletes deal with, and I’m deeply appreciative of that being the backbone of these novels.
Overall, Wheelspin brought through the story to a satisfying conclusion, even if Short Shift remains the strongest of the three books. I have loved getting to understand the characters more as fully complex, deeply flawed individuals who are scrapping in a world that is so hostile to the individual as it churns out legends. Whatever Emma’s writing plans may be in the future, and I hope this is just the beginning, I’ll keep Redline as a favorite series worth a reread to visit Noah and David’s love and world again.
The ending cliffhanger of Short Shift with David’s ex-girlfriend being pregnant left me cautious, but I was still trusting of Emma’s story management and curious to see how it would pay off in this book. The way it was woven into the story in Wheelspin, not as a typical accidental pregnancy trope, but with weight and momentum, gave the story more depth and better stakes. It felt navigated by characters not as a novelty, but as the lifechanging event it should be treated as. I ended up enjoying it, which is the first time I can say that about accidental pregnancy as a storyline. It just goes to speak to Emma’s mastery of complicating storylines with tropes, that she then turns on their heads in meaningful ways.
One of the strengths of the two first books was the balance between character drama and on-track drama of competing for a racing championship. Wheelspin was primarily seen through David’s eyes this time, and while Davids’ internal struggle throughout the novel was beautifully and compellingly written, it pulled focus away from the external story. It served the character motivations better to make more space for understanding what he was dealing with, but compromised the book by also making it a less balanced read, and I found myself missing the thrill of racing so well depicted throughout the first two. There were also some choices David made that got more context in Wheelspin than earlier books, but sometimes still left me wanting to shake him by his shoulders. Especially towards the very end of the novel, I felt at times more frustrated than sympathetic with one storyline resolution. That being said, I think all of the Redline series does an excellent job highlighting some of the issues real life racing athletes deal with, and I’m deeply appreciative of that being the backbone of these novels.
Overall, Wheelspin brought through the story to a satisfying conclusion, even if Short Shift remains the strongest of the three books. I have loved getting to understand the characters more as fully complex, deeply flawed individuals who are scrapping in a world that is so hostile to the individual as it churns out legends. Whatever Emma’s writing plans may be in the future, and I hope this is just the beginning, I’ll keep Redline as a favorite series worth a reread to visit Noah and David’s love and world again.
March 26, 2025
This was hurt comfort but with 90% hurt and then 10% comfort (metaphorically but also literally plot wise). Poor David was put through the wringer here. Even as lover of hurt/comfort and angst, I found myself disappointed by this final send off for Noah and David.
After book 2 focused on Noah’s struggles, Wheelspin primarily focused on David and his disordered eating, shame, depression, impending fatherhood, and his abusive family. Majority of David’s internal monologue involved self loathing and rumination about how others perceive him. There was no sugar coating or downplaying, we experience every exhausting and lonely thought with David.
— Possible spoilers below, but no specifics! ⚠️ —
Noah tried his best to support and encourage David but their communication was occasionally supplemented or replaced with sex (usually instigated by David to avoid something). I kept thinking about how Noah broke off their relationship in the first book saying that love “sometimes isn’t enough”. Because besides the utter loyalty that developed between them, much of their relationship remained the same. They were too busy putting out fires throughout this whole series to truly focus on their relationship.
After three books of hard fought personal and external battles, things only began to look up towards the last 15% of Wheelspin and their “happily ever after” was told at breakneck pace. Emma Barlowe certainly has a knack for angst. She wrote David’s plummeting mental health and Caroline, Noah, and David’s coparenting situation with so much candor and consideration. I just wished for more happy for now segments to balance out everything they went through, and deeper relationship growth.
After book 2 focused on Noah’s struggles, Wheelspin primarily focused on David and his disordered eating, shame, depression, impending fatherhood, and his abusive family. Majority of David’s internal monologue involved self loathing and rumination about how others perceive him. There was no sugar coating or downplaying, we experience every exhausting and lonely thought with David.
— Possible spoilers below, but no specifics! ⚠️ —
Noah tried his best to support and encourage David but their communication was occasionally supplemented or replaced with sex (usually instigated by David to avoid something). I kept thinking about how Noah broke off their relationship in the first book saying that love “sometimes isn’t enough”. Because besides the utter loyalty that developed between them, much of their relationship remained the same. They were too busy putting out fires throughout this whole series to truly focus on their relationship.
After three books of hard fought personal and external battles, things only began to look up towards the last 15% of Wheelspin and their “happily ever after” was told at breakneck pace. Emma Barlowe certainly has a knack for angst. She wrote David’s plummeting mental health and Caroline, Noah, and David’s coparenting situation with so much candor and consideration. I just wished for more happy for now segments to balance out everything they went through, and deeper relationship growth.
July 9, 2024
This was a breathtaking conclusion to a breathtaking trilogy I will think about for many years to come. I was a little worried in the beginning that too many things would have already been resolved in the first two books for there to be a lot to base this book on, but Barlowe mixes continuing old plotlines and expanding on new ones like it’s the easiest thing in the world. David was an incredibly compelling protagonist and while I missed Noah a little David is 100% the one that should be the main character of the third book because he has a lot longer of a journey left. All the family drama involving him was realistic, complicated and I could see a lot of my own in it. I think David’s struggles in the book with an eating disorder might seem to pop out of the blue for some, but the sad nature of the disorder is that it can appear really quickly and take a long time to go away, so I didn’t have any issue with that. I think the portrayal of that topic in the book was raw, honest and I saw my own past struggles in it many times. I do think the ending was a little rushed and the pacing was a little off at times, but that’s about my only criticism. Just as the other installments this one delivered on emotion, humor and plenty of wtf moments in the best way, so this just cemented the fact that this is a series that should go down in history as one of the best fictional books within the sports genre.
July 7, 2024
Ugh, this was just so good! Such an amazing conclusion to the Redline trilogy. It was so nice to get David’s perspective and to finally see what was going on in his head during previous books and as the obstacles for he and Noah unfolded. The way Barlowe wrote the relationships with Caroline, David’s family, and the teams felt so realistically messy. I was a little sad to not see as much Finlay and racing, but the issues Barlowe explored within the racing world were crucial and well done. I couldn’t resist finishing this in one sitting and of course sobbing at the end. This was one of the better romance series I’ve read, which was amazing because I’ve really struggled to enjoy romance in the past. I was relieved with how the surprise pregnancy trope was handled. I can’t wait to see what Barlowe writes next!
August 18, 2025
Obsessed!!!!!
Overall the 3 books were brilliant.
I’m really surprised these books aren’t more hugely popular. I read a lot of mm, it’s one of my favourite genres, and I would put these at the top of my list for my favourite books of 2025.
Really looking forward to what Emma writes in the future ☺️
Overall the 3 books were brilliant.
I’m really surprised these books aren’t more hugely popular. I read a lot of mm, it’s one of my favourite genres, and I would put these at the top of my list for my favourite books of 2025.
Really looking forward to what Emma writes in the future ☺️
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August 1, 2024Unfortunately DNFing because of the depiction of an eating disorder and the baby plot that I have no interest in. Maybe someday I'll come back to this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
August 8, 2025I've just lost interest in the characters....the first book was fine and then the second book and third book may be someone's cup of tea but its not my favorite romance novel form.
July 19, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up
i did enjoy this, i love noah and david. the relationships are well written, i was hooked and read it in one sitting. as always, the racing world was really well done and rang true, even if there was much less racing this time round
but , and i felt like the recovery was very rushed. moreover, it contributed to a sense of constant trauma and violence for david's character that became sort of tired.
i did enjoy this, i love noah and david. the relationships are well written, i was hooked and read it in one sitting. as always, the racing world was really well done and rang true, even if there was much less racing this time round
but , and i felt like the recovery was very rushed. moreover, it contributed to a sense of constant trauma and violence for david's character that became sort of tired.
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